International Officials Gathering In Bethel To Plan Arctic Biodiversity Conservation And Management

Officials from all eight Arctic nations will attend a meeting in Bethel on September 6 and 7, which will focus on conserving and managing Arctic plants and animals.

Credit U.S. Arctic Research Commission

Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 6 and 7, Bethel will be the site of an international gathering of wildlife managers, scientists, and indigenous groups talking about the changing plants and animals of the circumpolar Arctic and what the Arctic Council can do to help manage them.

The Arctic Council working group is called the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna. It is currently chaired by an American, Cynthia Jacobsen of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage office.

Officials from all eight Arctic nations will attend: the United States, Norway, Russia, Finland, Iceland, Canada, Sweden, and Denmark. As an observer nation, Japan will also be present. Representatives from indigenous groups and international non-governmental organizations are participating as well.

Main topics of the two-day meeting include invasive species, the need to increase youth involvement in Arctic issues, and protecting migratory birds from habitat loss and over harvest.

The meetings are not open to the public or news media.

Correction: The Working Group is not hosting a public gathering on Thursday evening. KYUK regrets the error.